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Harpy

Mythology
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Winged female spirit with bird's body who snatches away people or food as divine punishment, personifying storm winds. The Harpies served as tormentors and agents of the gods' wrath.

Detailed Definition
Harpies, like Aello and Ocypete, were sent to plague Phineus by stealing food. They symbolize sudden, violent retribution. Poets reference Harpies to evoke themes of divine wrath, insatiable hunger, and the terror of unseen forces descending upon mortals.
Example
Example in poetry:
Homer’s Odyssey describes Harpies as snatching food from Phineus; Virgil’s Aeneid portrays them as filthy, ravenous monsters in the Strophades; Ovid references their role in tormenting the blind seer; Apollodorus recounts their pursuit of the daughters of Pandareus; Later allegory uses Harpies to symbolize sudden, destructive forces; In medieval poetry, they become emblems of greed and corruption.
Additional Notes
Harpies (“snatchers”) are winged monsters who torment Phineus by stealing food (Argonautica). Virgil depicts them as filthy and ravenous (Aeneid 3). Students should analyze them as symbols of sudden deprivation and divine punishment. Later, they represent greed or pestilence. Related: Phineus, Argonauts, monstrous femininity.
Also Known As
Harpy the Snatcher Winged Fury of the Winds Hound of Zeus Storm-Borne Abductor The Harpy
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